Table



T. B. HADLEY 2,022,238

TABLE Filed Feb. e, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 26, 1935.

2 Shets-Sheet l TABLE T. B. HADLEY Filed Feb. 6,

Nov. 26, 1935.

Patented Nov. 26, 1935 STA? Fries 6 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus or furniture such as is employed in the practice of chiropractors, it being an object of the inventor to provide a sectional table, each section of which isV yieldingly supported in a manner to afford vertical movement of the section, and preferably thek sections are'independently movable and vary in their degrees of movement.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a sectional table having resilient supporting means, and to supply mechanism for adjusting the supporting means of one of the sections, whereby the resilient means be moved longitudinally of the section in order that the resilient means may be located near to the inner end of the section or remote from the inner end thereof to compensate for the weight of the patient occupying the said table.

It is furthermore an object of the invention to provide a table of the character indicated, in which the inner ends of the sections thereof are afforded a range of movement in their oscillation with respect to the outer ends of said sections, which outer ends have their movement re strained, as compared with the movement of the inner ends of the said sections;

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a table having a frame whose longitudinal central portion is on a lower plane than the ends of the said frame so that the rails of the center than at the outer ends.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to provide a table of the character indicated with sections which, in their normal positions, are slightly higher at their inner ends than at their outer ends, and the contour of the twosections may be slightly convex, when in normal positions, the said table being mounted so that it will move downwardly under the weight of theV patient.

A still furtherV object of the invention is to provide means which will yield during the chiropratic adjustment and rebound to the original convex positiomas the recoil o-r rebound is a desirable operation during chiropractic adjustment.

vIt is an object furthermore to provide means forA absorbing the shook or vibration` of the recoil, in order that the shock or vibration may be modulated to avoid undue agitation.

With the foregoing and other objects in View., the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of partsV to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed. Y

In describing the invention in detail, reference willbe hadfto' the accompanying drawings forin-v ing part of this application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Y the said frame are inclined and are lower at (Cl. 12S-'72) Figure 1 illustrates a view in side elevation of a table embodying the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a central longitudinal sectional view thereof;

Figure 3 illustrates an end view of the head end of thetable; Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view of the table on the line li-'ll of Fig. 2; A v

Figure 5 illustrates a sectional View of the suspension battery on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2; and

Figure 6 illustrates a sectional View of the table on the line'-t of Fig. 2.

In these drawings a base or supporting frame is illustrated, which may be made of any suitable material, but for the purpose of illustration it is shown as being formed of angle iron, although of course the inventor does not wish to be limited with respect to this feature. As illustrated, the frame comprises corner posts lli and two rails Il and l2 connected together by suitable joints, which need not, it is thought, be described in detail. The frame also preferably has two posts or supports such as i3 connected to the rails centrally of their length, and it is shown that the posts l are higher than the posts i3 and thus the rails at their longitudinal center areon a plane below the plane at their ends. VSuitable braces such as I4 may be attached to the end postsand rails in suitable manner, such as by fastenings l5, or they may be welded together according to well known practices in the formation of metal joints.

The table sections I6 and Il, the former of which may 'hereinafter be referred to as the head portion of the table, yintended to support 35 the body of the patient, and the section Il which may hereinafter be referred to as the foot of the table,'on which the legs of the patient may be supported, are held in spaced Yrelation to each other, as Awill presently appear. VNormally, the tablesections are not horizontal, but their inner ends are slightly higher than their outer ends and they are resiliently supported in this position.

The outer end of each section is provided with a transversely disposed plate I8 secured to the section in any appropriate way and, vas shown in Y Fig. 6, the said plate has angularly disposed ends It secured to the inner surface ofthe table by fastenings 22 such as rivets or the like, or they too may be welded to the table if the said table is made of metal. A plate 2l is in like manner secured to the fra-me as at 22, it being understoodI that both ends of the plate 2| areY so secured, and these plates are apertured vto receive a rod or bolt 23. A hard rubber cushion 2liV is supplied to the member 23 approximately centrally Vthereof and a spring 25 is interposed between said cushion and the plate I8, and another spring 26 is interposed between the plate 2l and the said cushion.

Practically the same construction is employed at the outer end of the other section and it is believed unnecessary, therefore, to describe the elements in detail.

The section I1 of the table is supported between its ends by what may be termed a battery of resilient elements, preferably springs, which, in the present embodiment of the invention, are assembled with relation to the table section and the frame in the following manner: plates 21 and 28 are associated with the table section and frame, respectively, and the table section is supported on the plate 21. The plates 21 and 28 may be provided with non-metallic noise-deadening members 29, such as wood or other material, and the said members 29 and the plates have coinciding apertures to receive bolts or rods 30, to which springs are applied. The spring 3| of each rod is a shock absorbing spring intended to limit the rebound of the table under the action of the springs 32 which are compressed during the chiropractic adjustment. The strength of the springs will be determined by experience in practice. One or more other springs such as 33 may be interposed between the plates 2-1 and 28, but these are preferably free acting and unrestrained by rods or bolts. It is intended, of course, that the plate 21 shall be secured to the section I1 of the table and that the plate 28 shall be secured to the frame in the manner heretofore described in connection with the members I8 and ZI.

The section I6 of the table is resiliently supported by what may be regarded as a battery of springs, associated with plates 34 and 35, the former of which is slidably applied to the table section I6, and the other of which is slidably applied to the rails of the frame in order that they may be moved longitudinally of the section I6 to change their position with relation to the length of the table, as will presently appear. A nut 36 of any suitable construction is preferably attached to the plates 34 and 35 and a screw or threaded rod 31 engages the nut and is operative to move the plates to accomplish the adjustment heretofore stated. The screw extends through a suitable bearing 38 on the outer surface of the end of the section I6 and it is provided with a crank 39 by which the screw is turned and, as will be apparent, the rotation of the screw will* result in moving the resilient members which support the head section I6 of the table to positions near the inner end or near the` outer end of such section.

As the diiferent parts of the table have been described and their functions given in connection with a description of the said parts, a

rsum of the construction and operation is believed unnecessary for an understanding of the invention by one skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a table, a frame lower at the center portion thereof than at its ends, table sections, means for yieldably attaching the outer end of each section to the frame, resilient means for supporting each section above the frame at a locationy remote from its ends,'and means for moving the said means of one section longitudinally of the frame and holding it at different positions with respect to said section and the frame to vary the action of the table under different weights of the occupants of the table.

2. In a table of the character described, a

` frame having side rails, table sections, means associated with the frame and each table section at its outer end for |yieldingly attaching the sections of the table to the frame, resilient means interposed between one of the table sections and the frame thereof' for holding the table section suspended above the frame, resilient means interposed between the other table section and the frame for suspending the table section above the frame, and means for moving the last mentioned resilient member longitudinally of the frame and table section.

3. In a table of the character described, a frame having side rails, table sections, means as-v sociated with the frame and each table section at its outer end for yieldingly attaching the sections of the table to the frame, resilient means interposed between one of the table sections and the frame thereof for holding the table section 2,0 suspended above the frame, resilient means interposed between the other table section and the fram-e for suspending the table section above the frame, a threaded member associated with the last mentioned resilient means, and a rotat- 25.

ably mounted screw engaging the threaded member operative to move the resilient member longitudinally of the table section and to retain it in diierent positions of adjustment.

4. In a table of the character described, a 30. frame having side rails, table sections, means associated with the frame and each table section at its outer en-d for yieldingly attaching the sections of the table to the frame, a battery of springs interposed between one of the table sections and the frame thereof for holding the table section suspended above the frame, resilient means interposed between the other table section and the frame for suspending the table section above the frame, and means for moving 4a the last mentioned resilient membery longitudinally of the table section.

5. In a table of the character described, a frame having side rails, table sections, means associated with the frame and each table sec- 45. tion at its outer end for yieldingly attaching the sections of the table to the frame, a battery of springs interposed between one of the table sections an-d the frame thereof for holding the table section suspended above the frame, a batlv tery of springs interposed between the other table section and the frame for suspending the table section above the frame, and means for mov-Y ing the last mentioned battery of springs longitudinally of the table section. 55.

6. In a table of the character described', a frame having side rails, tabler sections, means associated with the frame and each table section at its outer end for yieldingly attaching` the sections of the table to the frame, a battery of springs interposed between one of the table sections and the frame thereof for holding the table section suspended above the frame, a battery of springs interposed between the other table section and the frame for suspending the table sec'- 65 tion above the frame, a plate having a threaded aperture secured to the last mentioned battery of springs, and a rotatably mounted threaded element engaging the threads of the plate and operative to move the battery of springs longitudinally of the table section.

THOMAS B. HADLEY. 

